Self-objectification: Women’s bodies and the media

MS Magazine is an American feminist magazine that focuses on women’s rights and the feminist movement.   

The current issue ‘What’s the measure of a woman?’ looks at body image and this article ‘Out of body image’ by Caroline Heldman looks the issue of ‘Self-objectification’—seeing ourselves through others’ eyes, which has the effect of impairing women’s body image, mental health, motor skills and even their sex lives. 

Thank you to Andrea for this link

- Cat

Gender in Hollywood

Danielle has sent us a link to Gender inequity in Whoville – from NPR, Peter Sagal’s piece about Hollywood’s betrayal of female characters (particularly in Horton Hears a Who). Thank you, Danielle

Women vs the Media The objectification and portray…

Women vs the Media
The objectification and portrayal of women in the media, advertising, magazines, music videos and television presents a stereotype of women’s roles in society, which reinforces women’s subordinate status.

“Pretend(ing) to offer liberation in the guise of sexual promiscuity” – Catharine Lumby in Australian Feminism: a companion, 1998.

Female Chauvinist pigs : Women and the rise of raunch culture by Ariel Levy also addresses some of these issues.

Our library has both of these books, and more on women and the media.
- Cat

 

"If you’re a busy woman like me…"

Larvatus Prodeo has an interesting discussion about the Advertising Standards Bureau and the current Nando’s ad (YouTube link):

“[L]ooking carefully through their past rulings I am a bit doubtful about the integrity of the complaints process as the ASB actually runs it. There are two factors which seem to make it difficult for sexuality & gender-related complaints against ads to get through: first, the Bureau concentrate on what is literally said or depicted in ads while most complaints have to do with things that are suggested or implied, for example through double entendres, visual puns and camera angles. Second, the Bureau appears to find mitigation in jokes, humour and what advertisers tend to call ‘lightheartedness’ – tendentious material seems more palatable if it’s clothed in some sort of attempt at humour. Putting these two things together I suspect the Bureau runs by a system which the advertising industry finds it extremely easy to game. And the incentives are high: sex sells.”

- Danielle